Aviation Memorabilia Newsletter

Posted by Diana Sampson

CP Air's newly built three jet hangar, at Vancouver Airport April 4, 1970.

This photo with the caption: "Enormous new hangar, the largest in Canada accommodates three jets at CP Air's new $24 million Vancouver Airport operation centre.

The hangar and office complex covers an area equal to three football fields. The immense building is already being used and is scheduled for official opening later this month."

In 1987, following an intense pitch process, Ove Brand Design (now part of Publicis Groupe) was awarded the rebranding of Canadian Pacific Airlines - to become Canadian Airlines International - following the acquisition by Pacific Western Airlines.

What followed was the redesign of over 5,000 branded assets including the liveries of the entire fleet of airplanes including those of all regional partners, in-flight products and commissary items, airport counters and signage, uniforms, and design standards for all corporate and marketing communications.

Much of the success of the new identity was attributed to Ove's solution in making the word mark bilingual by replacing the "a" and "e" in Canadian (Canadien in French) with the designer motion mark saving the airlines costs and logistics in having to use a separate signature for each language.

Editors' Note: We researched our library of publications (scanned by Terry Baker) and found a few excerpts, below, from 'Flash Info' editions from April 1987.

From the "InfoCanadi>n" magazine.

From 'Flash Info' - April 1987

Airport signs to be in place in time for April 26 startup.

Canadian Airlines signage will be placed at airports throughout the system by April 26.

The temporary signage will be put in place during the light traffic hours Saturday night in order to greet the first Canadian Airlines passengers Sunday morning.

It is expected that some permanent, illuminated signage will be installed within the airport terminal buildings in Vancouver, Calgary, both Edmonton airports, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax, St. John's and Los Angeles by the April 26 deadline. Temporary signage will be displayed at all other locations.

George Hickey, who is heading the transition team, said that a critical timeline is currently being prepared for installing the new identity at all of the airline's facilities. The signage installation program is being implemented internally by Properties and Facilities. 

Along with other aspects of the new corporate identity program, on April 26 flight crews will begin identifying themselves 'Canadian flight #' in all air to ground communications.

A new in-flight magazine entitled 'Canadi>n' will debut May 1, replacing the publications 'Empress' and 'Skyward'.

The close alliance of  Canadian Airlines' commuter and commercial partners will be  reflected in the new livery of their fleets. Time Air, Norcanair, Calm Air and the yet to be named Ontario commuter will  be repainted with a blue belly separated from a sky white top by a thin red stripe. The Canadian Airlines International logo will be prominent on the aircraft tail.

Each individual airline's name will appear in large blue italic letters on the rear section of the aircraft. 

A Time Air Dash 8 will be the first of the commuter aircraft to lift off with the new livery. It is expected to be airborne Tuesday, April 28. Calm Air and Norcanair are both planning to have at least one aircraft painted by July 1. The combined total of approximately 40 aircraft operated by Canadian Airlines' commuter partners is expected to be repainted within the next two years.  

Time Air DHC-8-300, registration C-GLTA, with Boeing 767-300, registration C-FXCA, in background. 

Photo by Ken Fielding at commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File

New livery takes wing

The first aircraft sporting Canadian Airlines International's new livery went into service on March 31, 1987. C-FCRD (Fin #t 912), a DC-10-30, departed Vancouver as Flight 68 destined for Toronto.

By mid-April, three B-737's and one more DC-10 will be flying the new Canadian colours. The entire fleet is scheduled to be repainted within the next two years.

C-FCRD (Fin # 912) at Vancouver shortly
after being painted in the new 'Canadian' livery.

Note the CP Air fin in the background.

Photo courtesy of Gary Vincent

From the Propliner magazine September 10, 2021.

Aeromaritime Douglas DC-6B F-BHMR (c/n 43842) taxies onto the apron at Liverpool (Speke) Airport on May 14 1968, conveying a party of visitors to the local Dunlop facility from Paris Le Bourget. This aircraft was delivered new to Canadian Pacific Air Lines as CF-CUO in January 1953, and arrived in France in June 1959.

Leases to a number of carriers included service with Air Afrique, Continentale Europe Aero Service and Air Djibouti, before the aircraft was sold to Bellomy Lawson as N47058 in April 1975.

Ending her career with Aerosol in Colombia as HK-3847X, she was broken up at Villavicencio in 1994 after suffering a heavy landing. With thanks to Ray Draper for capturing this moment high above the Speke apron.

Editors' Note: CF-CUO, Fin #431 "Empress of Lima", delivered January 17, 1953. Sold to UAT, France June 3, 1959.

Lifecycle at rzjets.net/aircraft

From the Propliner magazine 2021 Annual edition.

Another stunning image that features in the 2021 edition of the Propliner Annual is Angus Squire's enchanting shot of Aer Lingus ATL-98 Carvair El-AMP (c/n 6) "St Albert" taxiing at Heathrow Airport on August 23 1966.

This aircraft later served with Eastern Provincial Airways as CF-EPX, but sadly crashed at Twin Falls, Labrador, on September 28 1968, just months after entering service.

See NetLetter # 1460 for more about this aircraft. 

Copies of Propliner magazine can be ordered at:

www.propliner.co.uk